Woman accused of setting husband on fire, hitting him with van gets retrial

[WestMichRad]

https://www.woodtv.com/news/van-buren-county/woman-accused-of-setting-husband-on-fire-hitting-him-with-van-gets-retrial/

PAW PAW, Mich. (WOOD) — In a case that’s drawn national attention, a woman accused of killing her husband by setting him on fire and hitting him with a van is getting a new trial after an appeals court overturned her murder conviction.

Jury selection in Paw Paw started Tuesday and continued Wednesday. Opening arguments are expected Thursday.

She was convicted in Van Buren County in 2010 and sentenced to life in prison. Prosecutors said that Stermer doused her husband with gasoline and set him on fire, not long after he learned she was having an extramarital affair. They alleged that she then hit him with a van as he tried to escape.

Stermer has maintained her innocence, claiming her husband had an oil lamp and candles burning in the house and she accidentally hit him with the van while trying to leave for help.

… and SHE was the one caught having an extramarital affair. Yeesh !

Basis for the retrial was that her attorney did not consult an expert to rebut testimony that the fire was allegedly arson, not accidental.
Glad I’m not on that jury!

[bif]

1. Sounds like good material for a made for tv drama!

[WestMichRad]

2. Ain't that the truth?!

I marvel at the fact that she’s getting a retrial based on what seems to me to be a mighty thin pretense, when people on death row who are exonerated by recent DNA evidence can’t even get a hearing.

But mostly, I’ll relish getting your 24,990-something-th post as a reply to my thread! Congrats on the milestone! I’ll get to 24,990 in maybe just another couple centuries!